ESRC Research Seminar series on genetics, …...ESRC Research ‘Seminar series on genetics, technology, security and justice. Crossing, contesting and comparing boundaries’ ‘Forensic

MPS Forensic Services

ESRC Research ‘Seminar series on genetics, technology, security and justice. Crossing, contesting and comparing boundaries’

‘Forensic genetics in society an operational perspective’ Gary Pugh Director Forensic Services Metropolitan Police Service


Forensic Genetics; A significant physical interaction between the suspect and the crime scene or victim provides the greatest opportunity for forensic science to solve the crime, eliminate the innocent and bring offenders to justice by;

•  confirming whether or not a crime has been committed •  identifying and eliminating suspects •  establishing the sequences of events •  validating the account of victims, suspect and witnesses •  providing links between crimes to identify serial offending


Operationally Forensic Genetics currently means DNA Profiling that is;

Sizing not sequencing

Non-coding not Coding

Readable not Knowable

‘Forensic genetics in society’



Uses of the National DNA Database (NDNAD) in the investigation of crime •  DNA from an individual who is arrested for a recordable offence when searched against the NDNAD and may provide a link with DNA previously recovered from a crime scene

•  DNA recovered from a crime scene and searched against the NDNAD may provide a match with an individual who has been previously charged/convicted for a recordable offence •  DNA recovered from a crime scene may match with another crime scene revealing serial offending and enhance the ability to detect both crimes •  DNA recovered from the crime scene or victim that is thought to have originated from the offender can be used to screen volunteers as a way of eliminating individuals from an enquiry. •  in serious cases with the authority of a Chief Officer a familial search can be undertaken of an unidentified DNA profile to reveal whether there are any close relatives on the NDNAD.


National DNA Database (NDNAD) key statistics


Number of subject profiles held on NDNAD (in millions) (2008/09-2014/15)




Number of subject profiles loaded onto NDNAD per year (in thousands) (2008/09-2014/15)

Number of crime scene profiles loaded onto NDNAD per year (in thousands) (2008/09-2014/15)




Match rate on loading a crime scene profile (2003/04-2014/15)




Number of subject profiles by age on NDNAD (as at 31st March 2015)

Number of subject profiles on NDNAD by ethnicity (as at 31st March 2015


DNA Profiling in Acquisitive Crime (Burglary and Vehicle) •  Main contribution is to provide a name as a starting point for investigation, this may lead to arrest and charge, and prosecution but relies on other evidence, and an assessment of the location and relevance of the DNA at the crime scene •  decision to charge is taken by the CPS and they make their own assessment; movable objects such as cigarette ends are problematic and require a dialogue between forensic staff and prosecutors

Moveable Object ' …a carelessly discarded porcelain toilet causing £15k damage to a Ferrari…….'




MPS Cold case review – Operation Sapphire

•  364 cold cases submitted for re-examination •  340 DNA profiles obtained that were not from the victim •  198 matches to suspects; 63 have been prosecuted, 45 pleaded guilty and 18 convicted by a jury •  12 outstanding unsolved linked series profiles- Specific cases;

Subject A pleaded guilty to six indecent assaults over a seven year period and received a sentence of 13 years

Subject B convicted of 3 rapes received a sentence of 14 years Subject C pleaded guilty to rape and sexual assault on three women and

received a sentenced of 12 years Subject D raped a tourist in London victim returned to the UK waived her

anonymity and rapist found guilty and received a sentence of 12 years





Current Operational Capability -  Well developed DNA matching service

-  Human Rights and Privacy issues addressed? but is the focus punishment not prevention

-  Still some capability challenges;

-  cell type -  complex mixture interpretation -  international searching e.g. Prüm

-  Well developed fingerprint capability for large scale identity management

-  Facial identification under development



Future Challenges and Opportunities for Forensic Genetic analysis -  General levels of crime

-  Violent Crime including Homicide

-  Rape and Sexually Motivated Crime

-  Terrorism







Violent crime


Police recorded violence against the person - number and rate of offences

England and Wales

Apr '04 to Mar '05

Apr '09 to Mar '10

Apr '13 to Mar '14

Apr '14 to Mar '15

Violence against the person offences 845,673 699,011 634,623 779,027

Homicide 868 620 533 534

Violence against the person - with injury 515,119 401,244 322,818 374,216

Violence against the person - without injury 329,686 297,147 311,272 404,277

Violence against the person rate per 1,000 population 16 13 11 14 1. Source: Police recorded crime, Home Office


Violent crime


Homicide Categories Category A: All cases that are ‘hate’ motivated, crime causing grave public concern or where the victim is a child, law enforcement officer or person of high public profile. Category B: A routine major enquiry where the offender is unknown and not readily identifiable. Category C: A routine major enquiry where the offender is apparent.



Category Manslaughter Murder Grand Total

A 12 12

B 1 41 42

C 6 28 34

Not stated 2 2

Grand Total 9 81 90

MPS Homicide Data 2014-15




Sexually motivated crime data


Police recorded sexual offences - number and rate of offences

England and Wales

Apr '04 to Mar '05

Apr '09 to Mar '10

Apr '13 to Mar '14

Apr '14 to Mar '15

Sexual offences 60,924 53,006 64,229 88,219

Rape 14,013 15,074 20,748 29,265

Other sexual offences 46,911 37,932 43,481 58,954

Sexual offences rate per 1,000 population 1 1 1 2

1. Source: Police recorded crime, Home Office


Sexually motivated crime data


Victim Suspect Relationship Description Total Acquaintance/Friend 1217

Familial - Including Family Friends 191

Intimate - Current or Previous Sexual Relationship 1407

Professionals and Carers 54

Relationship Not Known 247

Stranger 1 - No Prior Contact with Victim 415

Stranger 2 - Briefly Known to Victim 806

No description 788

Grand Total 5125


MPS Sexually motivated crime data 2014-15


Counter Terrorism applications Taxi driver Anis Sardar has been convicted of the murder of US Sgt Randy Johnson, who was killed by a homemade bomb while on patrol in Iraq eight years ago, and it was a piece of sticky tape that gave him away. Fingerprints matched Parts of the bombs, including the one which killed Sgt Johnson, were sent to the FBI's Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Centre in Quantico, Virginia, where a massive warehouse houses tens of thousands of IEDs from Iraq and Afghanistan. Forensic scientists extracted fingerprints from four devices that Sardar's bombmaking team had assembled. In early 2014 they matched prints on two of the bombs to Sardar. This was possible because when he had re-entered the UK after fleeing Iraq in 2007, Sardar was questioned by officers at Heathrow Airport. Although he was not arrested, his fingerprints were taken. American scientists also found on each of the devices, including the bomb which killed Sgt Johnson, the fingerprints of fellow bombmaker Sajjad Adnan who was briefly detained by American forces but whose current whereabouts are not known. So although Sardar's prints were not found on the lethal bomb, he was convicted of the murder as part of a joint enterprise with Adnan: their four bombs being very similar in design and placed very close to each other.


Documents

ESRC Research Seminar series on genetics, …...ESRC Research ‘Seminar series on genetics, technology, security and justice. Crossing, contesting and comparing boundaries’ ‘Forensic